Mold EEK! MOLD! HELP!6 Infestation Mold will grow on everything and anything! Different molds like different conditions and food sources Primarily exterior (bindings, boxes, etc.)

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EEK! MOLD! HELP!

Tara Kennedy Preservation Field Services Librarian

Yale University Library

Mold

  What is it?   Contributing factors

  Prevention

  Health hazards

  Response

  Recovery

What is Mold?

  Mold is everywhere and we cannot get rid of it!

What is Mold?


  Surface molds produce conidia (the spore carriers) AKA the instigator   Aspergillus, one of the most

common species of mold   Penicillium , Penicillin

(antibiotic); blue cheese   Stachybotrys AKA “(Toxic)

Black Mold”

What is Mold?


  Surface molds produce conidia (the spore carriers) AKA the instigator

  The conidia and spores are specially designed for survival – they will only grow where they have a chance of survival (food and environment)

Aspergillus flavus

Spore Lifecycle

  Maturation and release   Dormancy   Activation   Germination   Hyphae   Conidia formation   …and the cycle continues…

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ACTIVATION

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Spore Characteristics

  Dormant conidia and spores can survive extreme environments (freezing, dry, hot, etc.) but not once the conidia has been activated and germinated.

  Dormant conidia can remain viable for over 20 years, waiting for the right environment to germinate  REMOVAL is key

Mold in action!

  Rhizopus stolonifer  AKA “black bread mold”

  The sequence spans 7 days with images made at 10 minute intervals

Mold in action!

  Pleurotus ostreatus  AKA “white oyster mushroom”   It’s edible! Yum!

  Sequence spans 1 month 24 days

Sources of Spores and Conidia

  Airborne particles ranging in size from 1 -100 μm (1 μm = 1/1000 mm)

  Indoor mold growth on plants, dust, food, collections materials, etc.

  Contaminated collections through manufacture, use, or history

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Labs/BioLab_112/mushrooms_index.html http://www.nachi.org/air-sampling-mold-inspection.htm

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Active vs. Inactive Mold Growth

Active Mold Growth Inactive Mold Growth

http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/preservationunit/mouldremoval/

Early Indicators

  Presence of insects   Telltale odor

http://www.insectslimited.com/museum%20pest.htm Booklouse (at high magnification)

Contributing Factors

  Microenvironments exist that can support mold   Behind shelves   Basement floor storage in cardboard boxes  Damp microenvironments due to location of water   Post water incident where drying did not take place

immediately

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Mold Prevention

  Get rid of excess moisture; reduce relative humidity and dew point!  Avoid storing collections in damp areas   Keep RH low (40-50%)   Ensure air circulation around collections   Respond quickly to water damage

Mold Prevention

  Get rid of excess moisture; reduce relative humidity and dew point!  Avoid storing collections in damp areas   Keep RH low (40-50%)   Ensure air circulation around collections   Respond quickly to water damage

  Materials that can hold more water than others are more susceptible  Hydrophilic (literally “water-loving”) materials

Mold Prevention

  Regularly change air handler filters, clean ductwork if you have had a major outbreak

Mold Prevention


  Isolate and examine incoming collections

Mold Prevention


  Isolate and examine incoming collections   Regular housekeeping to keep shelves and other

surfaces free from dust   Use disposable static rags, like those from Swiffer, that have

no additives and a HEPA-filtered vacuum

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Infestation

  Mold will grow on everything and anything!  Different molds like different conditions and food sources   Primarily exterior (bindings, boxes, etc.) but also likely to be

found on endpapers and in gutters of books and edges of papers in boxes.

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Health Hazards

  All molds pose a health risk and some people are more at risk than others

Health Hazards


  For people, mold is first a sensitizer which then becomes an allergen and then can later become toxic.

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Health Hazards



  Some molds are toxic to begin with, but only testing will tell   Stachybotrys (“black mold”) is one of the toxic variants and

usually grows on construction materials

Health Hazards



  Some molds are toxic to begin with, but only testing will tell

  Testing is the only surefire way to know if the mold is a “toxic” – and you have to test ALL of them

Response

1.   Confine the outbreak 2.   Stop the growth of the mold 3.   Kill the active mold growth 4.   Take steps to prevent re-infestation

  Ideally, response and recovery will be done by a vendor and not in-house!

 Do nothing until you have your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)!

Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs)

  Gloves  Nitrile or Latex for handling collections

  Masks   Full- or half-face respirators (requires medical approval and fit

testing) or N95/N100 particulate respirators (masks)

  Unvented goggles   Protective clothing

  Tyvek coveralls with or without feet or, at a minimum, aprons or lab coats

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Is It a Dust Mask or a Respirator?

Dust Mask (not OK) N95 Particulate Respirator (OK)

Confine the Outbreak

  For large incidents:   Isolate the area,  Create a negative pressure room to ensure the mold does not

spread to other areas   This includes shutting down any air handling vents that may return air

from the area.

Image courtesy of Joan Bartram, Salve Regina University

Confine the Outbreak

  For smaller incidents:   Pack (wrap using Tyvek or spun polyester, use plastic bags

only if the materials are not wet)  Move collection to a quarantine area.

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Stop the Growth

  Dehumidification in situ  Does not require moving collections  Dropping temperature is not sufficient   If this is a water incident, as well as mold, air-drying will not

stop inks from bleeding, coated paper will stick, and distortion of objects can occur

 Old Wives’ Tale: Sunlight does not kill mold

Stop the Growth, Kill the Mold

  Freezing  Growth stops and active mold killed

  Forms ice crystals causing cell to burst

  Buys time for decision-making and recovery preparations  Use caution when freezing museum objects.   Freezing and then air-drying can reactivate mold

Stop the Growth, Kill the Mold

  Vacuum Freeze-drying  Done by a vendor who can also then clean materials   Best for large outbreaks in libraries and archives

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A Note on Fungicides

  Can have a deleterious effect on collections and people so only done if there is no other possible solution

  Some chemicals only stop growth, not kill the mold, these are called fungistats.

  Ethylene oxide will actually increase some material’s susceptibility to future outbreaks   It is also a strong health and safety risk to people and is now

banned in the EU.

Prevent Re-infestation

  Clean entire space, not just collections, with a HEPA vacuum, smoke sponge, and, if necessary, wipe down shelving with a solution of no more than 1 cup bleach per 1 gallon water. Dry thoroughly after wiping down.

  Replace any carpet, padding, furniture, wallboard, etc. that was moldy

  Repair or replace any equipment or plumbing that may have caused the problem

  Begin an environmental monitoring program

Collection Recovery

  Always assume there is a health hazard and wear PPE’s   The inactive mold will need to be removed from

collections to ensure they are safe to use again, as well as to prevent re-infestation.

  Mold does physical damage to collections so any in-house cleaning should be done by trained staff with PPE’s and a knowledge of careful handling techniques for fragile materials.

Cleaning Collections

You should not clean your collections by

yourself, leave it for the professionals!


  Only clean once the mold has been rendered inactive   Mold stain removal is tricky business; leave it to the

professionals   Consider replacement as a viable option for some

materials

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  HEPA-Filtered Vacuum  Once mold is inactive, it can be carefully cleaned off of

collection materials using either a soft brush to direct mold into the nozzle or by vacuuming through a screen.

  This should be done in a fume hood, in an isolated space with negative air pressure or outside on a still, sunny day to reduce the risk of spreading mold throughout the building.

 Wear PPE’s!


  Smoke Sponge - “Gonzo” sponge   Works after vacuuming

  Vulcanized rubber that traps the mold and dirt and is easily cut with a scissors

  It can also drive mold into un-sized papers

Thank you!

Any questions, please contact me!

Tara Kennedy

[email protected]

Documents

Mold EEK! MOLD! HELP!6 Infestation Mold will grow on everything and anything! Different molds like different conditions and food sources Primarily exterior (bindings, boxes, etc.)